


The Sea and the Sky

by blueraven123



Series: Riordanverse One-Shots [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Desi Character, Desi Jason Grace, Desi Thalia Grace, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff, Gen, Grover (Percy Jackson) is a Good Friend, Hispanic Percy Jackson, Latino Character, Latino Percy Jackson, Light Angst, The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo) Spoilers, You cannot stop me, grover is baby, i just needed y'all to know, i will make those tags!!!, luke sucks, thats not very important to the story, they all love each other, v light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27711071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueraven123/pseuds/blueraven123
Summary: Grover knows a lot more than people think. And he knows that Percy and Thalia will always be his best friends.  I'm not Rick Riordan. On with the story.(This was saved in my docs as "GiveGroverLove2k20" that's all you need to know.)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Luke Castellan & Annabeth Chase & Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Thalia Grace & Grover Underwood, Thalia Grace & Percy Jackson
Series: Riordanverse One-Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023427
Comments: 16
Kudos: 48





	The Sea and the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Jason and Thalia are South-Asian.  
> *insert Ariana Grande "and what about it?" GIF here*
> 
> Look buddy, I am the biggest Thalia stan ever. And I also love Grover. So this happened. BOOM.  
> (also the fact that Thalia didn't make it to Jason's f-ing funeral is bs. there, i said it)

Thalia I

She was, in all honesty, one of the only friends Grover had.

THE only friend other than a nice tree nymph named Juniper who was close to his age and a son of Demeter who was skilled at woodland magic.

Thalia was brave and more loyal than could be measured in Grover's- technically 14- but, in satyr terms, _only 7 year old_ brain.

She had personally yelled at him to take her friends too and he had thanked her for it because he'd been relieved and eager to comply. She had had a dark past, the details of which Grover didn't even want to know, she daily put her life on the line for no reason whatsoever just because the gods wouldn't help their offspring as much as they should...but still she went about it with a smile.

Thalia held them together on the bad days. She was the mom of their group.

For Grover- she washed away all his insecurities. He only really let her know about them and she made it all better immediately, with three words (You WILL succeed), said so forcefully that he believed them). That was what a mom should do. She also stopped him sometimes, scowling slightly, with a remark of "Grover, calm down. You won't get anywhere by panicking." That was also what a mom should do.

For Annabeth- she gave the blonde a "Mom look" (well, he assumed. His own mom had disappeared a long time ago) and gave her a fierce scolding. Annabeth was a child after all and Thalia believed in raising her how mortal parents should raise their kids. After she had made sure Annabeth wouldn't repeat whatever she'd done to merit the lecture, she'd plant a kiss on the daughter of Athena's forehead, sisterly and warm.

For Luke...it was complicated. Apparently, he used to be warm and gentle but right then, he was angry and bitter. He lost his temper. He screamed a lot. Not at Grover, (most of the time, at least) but that was the worst it could get in their little group.

When that happened, Thalia never went after him. She stayed and hugged Annabeth close and brushed the hair out of Grover's eyes as they waited for Luke to calm down. He would come back, shamefully, and apologize, Thalia announced to them

He did. Luke apologized for snapping, the 3 times that it happened, and promised he wouldn't do it again. Thalia would then shake her head and glare at him, Annabeth still tucked safely in her arms, Grover still being reassured by her. And her message was always clear: _get it together, Luke._

But then she'd be smiling again and he knew she trusted the son of Hermes to hold their small family close.(Grover knew even then, he wasn't really part of this family)

Thalia was everything he wanted to be.

Because, in the end, she could save herself.

But he couldn't save her.

**(Luke was the papa bear of camp after that and it was widely accepted but seemed so wrong. Thalia should have been in that role. Grover hadn't noticed then that Luke felt the same way and was slowly falling apart.)**

* * *

Percy II

And there Grover was, at Yancy, on another mission, friendless again (well, him and Annabeth were still close but Luke had dropped him entirely).

But that all changed right after Chiron pointed at a young boy, sitting at the very back of the classroom, hair in his eyes, a scowl on his face, and said 'That is him. Perseus Jackson.'  
Grover almost cried because the boy reminded him of Thalia.

They didn't look alike. Not at all.

Sure, they had the same color hair but hers was spiky and his was messy, as if someone had taken the brush part of a mop and stuck it on his head.

Perseus Jackson was also clearly Hispanic, with eyes that were so strange but also looked like the most natural eyes anyone could have. Thalia Grace had been South Asian, with eyes that were also different, but that were all the better for their uniqueness.

She stood straight as a rod, daring people to look past her. He didn't, but he didn't slouch and hide either (not like Grover's future protectee, Nico). Percy was simply there and that was that.

But they had so many similarities.

Again, one of the things he'd loved about her was her willingness to literally fight anyone, a complete whirlwind of electricity, her thunder shaking everyone's world. But also her warm embrace, like a slow summer rain. He was calm, Grover soon learned, like the ocean on a warm day. But he could be a hurricane. Nancy Bobofit had been horrible to Grover for the past couple months and that almost made Perseus ("uh, it's _Percy._ ") explode.

Oh yeah, that was another difference between them. Percy shortened his first name, clearly trying his best to hold on to a semblance of a normal life, but he announced his last name with a sense of pride. Grover supposed that was because Sally Jackson was as good of a mother as demigods got.  
Thalia cut her last name out completely, distancing herself from whatever had happened in her past and calling herself "Thalia, just Thalia." She was determined to forge her own path.

He was scared, scared that Percy would be horrified about how Grover had practically killed Thalia himself. Okay, Hades sent the monster, but...If Grover hadn't been such an idiot, he could have saved her and he knew that Percy was already so strong so why would he want a useless satyr tha-

"Of course I still want you along, G-Man! You're the strongest satyr ever and you're my best friend.

Grover almost cried as he gladly accepted Percy's hug.

He knew then that Perseus Jackson was not someone who would easily be put in a box.

Percy was like Thalia. He was brave and loyal and definitely willing to sacrifice himself. He was rash. He had no problem screaming at people when need be. And, like Thalia, sometimes he grew quiet, stone-cold, with a glint in his eyes that made you...

But at the same time, he was quiet and shy in every way Thalia wasn't but not...not silent in the ways Thalia was.

Yes, Percy Jackson was undeniably like Thalia.

But he wouldn't let this boy get hurt like she did or his name wasn't Grover Underwood.

* * *

Interlude III

Grover broke down in sobs that day on the hill, when Thalia stood back up.

Thalia was the exact same. She swept Annabeth into her arms, cradling the blonde as if she was still 7.

She turned and ruffled Grover's hair.

Then she turned to Percy, smiling softly at him as she said thanked him for helping.

He nodded. Percy was quiet, distracted. Grover figured there were at least 20 lines of thought running through his head at that point.

He felt bad for his best friend.

Thalia had studied the son of Poseidon quietly. Percy had studied the daughter of Zeus quietly.

No one else noticed. Most people were already gone for the school year, Annabeth was too elated, Chiron was lost in thought but Grover kept replaying that scene in his mind.

Her eyes trained on him in that menacing way of hers, lips twitching upwards, head cocked to the side, unmoving and frozen in place. His quiet, rock-hard gaze, smiling thinly, hair flapping about, fingers tapping against his knee.

Grover felt a shiver run down his spine. He cared about Percy, he cared about Thalia, but he knew how the children of the Big Three got along. (He didn't want to have to choose between them)

* * *

Thalia IV

He didn't have to choose between them because, say what you will, they kept their fights to themselves.

She pulled him to the side one day, on the train on their quest to save Annabeth and Artemis, and said she wanted to talk.

"Has Percy...seen anything? In his dreams?"

"Not that I know of." He blinked. "Why don't you ask him?"

"No." She scowled and he internally sighed. He was just a poor satyr! He didn't want to get caught up in this. "I just wanted to know if you know anything to help.

"Nothing."

"I'm scared, Grover. I'm scared for her." Well, that was a change. Thalia's entire demeanor faded. She sounded so... _broken_.

"It's gonna be okay." He whimpered. "I can't fail Annabeth. I won't."

"Yeah. We're gonna find her and save Artemis and Luke...we're gonna beat him and make him rue the day."

"What?" Grover blinked. Annabeth had made so many excuses for Luke that he'd expected her to do the same.

"Yeah. I'm gonna kick his...we have to...I just...He hurt her. He hurt Annabeth, Goat boy!"

Thalia dropped into a seat, head in her hands, and Grover pretended he couldn't hear her sobs.

That was a train wreck of a conversation, Grover thought, before Percy tapped on the door and asked if they would like some snacks.

* * *

Percy V

"Percy's missing." Annabeth whispered.

Grover's heart ached as Juniper wrapped her arms around him.

"It'll be alright, dear." She soothed him and he wanted so badly to believe her but then why was the empathy link not working?

He hugged her tight before she left, wanting to scream.

Why couldn't he ever actually protect the people he was supposed to protect? Some Lord of the Wild he was.

Pan had made the wrong choice.

 _I_ _didn't,_ the wind seemed to whisper but even that couldn't calm him down.

"Oh, Perce." Grover sighed, alone on Half-Blood Hill. "We'll find you."

Annabeth smiled when he told her how he'd contacted Percy in his dream and he smiled back.

W _e will find you,_ Grover promised himself. _I will find you._

Percy Jackson was his best friend of all time and Grover would not let him die. (Why did he keep saying that?)

It was going to be alright.

* * *

Interlude VI

It wasn't all right.

Nothing was all right.

Grover screamed at the top of his lungs when that napkin appeared.

Tartarus? TARTARUS?! It wasn't fair. Nobody deserved but especially not Percy and Annabeth. (or, as he later learned, Nico)

He broke down next to Juniper as she ran her fingers through his hair and shushed him gently.

"We can't contact Thalia and all we know is the Hunters were attacked and most didn't survive." Someone tells him apologetically and then he's crying harder and now he's clinging to his amazing girlfriend because he failed so badly.Nothing was alright.

The next time he sees Percy, through an I.M, his best friend is trying to pick up his own pieces (the meeting only lasts a few seconds, Grover has to go put out a wildfire)

The next time he sees Thalia is at her brother's memorial service (Grover hadn't known she had a brother but at the service, she looked so...not her. Dressed up in something which wasn't all that fancy, but Thalia? No, Thalia Grace wasn't supposed to wear dresses! She was crying too hard to notice him anyway.)

* * *

Years later, next to Percy, Thalia and Annabeth as Tyson held Estelle and Sally and Paul took pictures, Grover sighed wistfully.Because Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace (and Annabeth, always Annabeth), for all their similarities and differences, were his best friends in the world.

Gods, he wouldn't trade these people for anything.

"Grover! Do you want some of Sally's pancakes or should I give them to Percy and Thalia?"

Okay, almost anything.  
  



End file.
